26. Large unit.
A unit of 20 BG, FC, RoH, ASF cost 355pts.
It can be considered as a basis for a Death Star. It may get a KB-maxed or anti-chariot-starred assassin.
Pros: Low cost über-unit, ITP. It does not really care about being side or rear charged. It is very effective in melee against anything.
Cons: Little inherent resistance to shooting & magic, the help of characters wearing magic items is required. Slow, it will have trouble to pick up its charges, and this alone may render it ineffective facing a clever, elusive opponent, unless you can magic-move the unit to force a charge.
BG in big blocks (note: 20 is the maximum) will win against almost anything. They are slightly less cost-effective than Execs for that result but
they do not care about terror.
The
extra rank bonus may be expensive for the benefit, but it is still useful enough to be justified: a guaranteed additional combat resolution may tilt the balance towards a winning melee.
Blocked up in a 5x4 formation, the unit can happily take
a charge in the flank, do a whole bunch of damage to an enemy unit, and then hold them in place for a flank charge of your own. The unit is big enough, and survivable enough, to hold up two or three units by marching forward ahead of the main force and getting charged. In effect they go forward and give the enemy no choice but to try to deal with them.
Not forgetting that it means
more wounds that the unit can soak, and this is probably a better reason to take that many. If half the unit is wiped out by shooting before they hit combat that's fine - you paid 160 points to get them into combat. If 15+ of them make it, even better. We might even have the outnumber bonus when we're done hitting things.
They are the
centrepiece of your army. They allow to play the Druchii in a way they should be played: aggressively.
They give supporting and other combat units a chance to do their thing.
Sometimes it's just by taking fire from everything that can see them.
A character in there with the Ring of Darkness and armed with something big and sharp can be fun...
Having a unit of Black Guard in combat on three fronts, ahead of the rest of the army, with CoKs, Witch Elves or Chariots, occasionally supported by a Cauldron of Blood is a really nice place to be!
27. Kouran.
Analysis.
Kouran makes his BG unit
unbreakable. This means that they pass automatically their morale checks, but also that they
cannot accept any character (nor an assassin, not even Malekith!).
Kouran’s BG just cannot flee, be it from magic, shooting, terror, melee. They can only be killed to the last elf. Fortunately for the opponent, they are limited to 20.
Kouran has
2 magic objects.
- Crimson Death, S6 (having it means that you cannot get it for another hero, as there is only one such weapon). Great.
- Armour of Grief, requires a Toughness test or can’t hit. Fancy. It makes High Elves or DE much harder to kill him as they suck at T.
You have to pay 75 pts (+ 13pts for the model) instead of 14 pts (+ 13 pts for the model).
The Crimson Death costing 25 pts, it makes the magic armour and the
unbreakable rule at 36 pts.
Drawbacks.
The unit is at its maximum and
cannot be joined by any character, not even an assassin.
It is
vulnerable to shooting and magic (if out of range of another unit with RoH), against which it must be protected from outside.
Slow, it will not be able to pick up its charges.
Kouran is vulnerable (relatively) to challenges and suicide-charges.
However, the one drawback that many people can’t stand is that Kouran has the very same characteristics as a regular Tower Master, i.e. just 1 more attack than a rank & file BG… and
a single wound.
The main advantage, being unbreakable, lasts only as long as Kouran survives. Beware of sniping and challenges by a monster-mounted hero.
Overall, is being unbreakable so great for already ITP BG?
Many people think that Kouran is not worth it - expensive and hardly enough power to be worth his point sink.
Only for Malekith themed army... pure fluff and fun.
How to use that unit.
A few people believe that Kouran is very interesting if his options are made of good use.
Some have tried and were happy with the result.
Let’s examine Kouran’s unit.
For his survival, you should consider doing what is required to guarantee that your expensive 1-wound model survives charges - i.e. the ASF banner.
20 BG, Kouran, FC, ASF cost 391 pts.
This is the lowest cost über-unit available to DE. That unit is so bad ass!
ITP. Likely to destroy the front rank of any charging unit, especially if COB-boosted. It will ignore whatever the combat result can be.
It may effectively be set in a single line, which will sweep the battleline clear of any enemy until it is destroyed to the last man by shooting (idea borrowed from clivegh in:
Dark Elf's win the Broadside Bash (Indy GT)).
He experienced the unit and testifies: “The Biggest reason to take Kouran?
YOU DO NOT NEED A BSB in an army with him.
The BG can wade out into the middle of no mans land and just kill anything that attacks it. Just watch everyone get out of the way.”
EDIT:
28. How hard is it to kill Kouran?
Some players are really worried because Kouran has only one wound.
So what?
It is a case of the game theory. Let’s analyse that.
Let's suppose the enemy sends an
Anti-Hero (AH) character in order to kill
Kouran (K) inside an
ASF FC BG unit (BG).
Challenge? two possibilities.
1. The anti-hero does not challenge (or can't, in case of a suicide-charge by a unit with no command). You don't challenge either, otherwise see 2.
3 ASF-I6, hatred-S6 hits, plus 4 ASF-I6, hatred-S4 hits later (there are more hits if the anti-hero is wider than 39 mm), the possibly surviving anti-hero commando is allowed to strike back.
1a. If he aims at the mundane BG who are WS4 save5+, he faces BG's numeric superiority and banner and muso, so either he kills 3 at least and BG don't care because they are unbreakable, resume as initially except the anti-hero does not charge anymore; or he kills 2 or less and he must pass the Ld-1 (or worse) morale test, risk to be pursued and if he stays, resume as initially except etc...
1b. If he aims at least one of his attacks at Kouran, he must first pass a Toughness test because of the armour. If he fails, end of his turn, followed by 3 ASF-I6, still-hatred-S6 plus 4 ASF-I6, still-hatred-S4 hits again. If he passes, he can kill Kouran only once so he will loose combat by 1, risk to be pursued and so on (but at least there are no more S6 Kouran hits).
2. The anti-hero challenges.
2a. You are a gambler and accept.
3 ASF-I6, hatred-S6 hits later, the possibly surviving anti-hero is not yet allowed to strike back: first he must pass a Toughness test. If ever he fails... 3 more ASF-I6, still-hatred-S6 to face soon again. If you were your opponent, would you commit such suicide on a gamble?
Admitting he passes the T test, then he got a chance to kill your precious Kouran.
So what?
Even if he managed to kill Kouran twice, the combat would still be a draw but YOU have the muso and HE tests at Ld-1.
Only if he killed Kouran trice or a dozen times, that's a stubborn Ld9 test for you.
Next, there's nobody to accept the challenge, so the anti-hero faces 6 ASF-I6, still-hatred-S4 hits (see 2b) but he is not anymore benefiting from the charge.
2b. This is when you remember that you're a sneaky DE, and you refuse the challenge.
6 ASF-I6, hatred-S4 hits later, the possibly surviving anti-hero is allowed to strike back.
Even if he manages to kill 2 BG, it's a draw but BG have their muso so he looses by 1 and he tests at Ld-1.
Only if he receives no wound, and kills 3, then BG have a morale test at Ld9. What a big deal. 1/6 changes to fail this rather unlikely event, 5/6 chances to pass the test, and resume 6 ASF-I6, still-hatred-S4...
Let's sum up the choices:
1a. BG hit 3S6+4S4. K survives. AH likely looses, or at best, draws but can't overcome the unbreakable BG, so situation resumes except AH is not charging anymore.
Obviously 1a fails to accomplish AH’s mission and only puts AH in worse position.
1b. BG hit 3S6+4S4. AH may pass T test and hit K. AH is certain to loose combat unless bearing a specific CR banner. Even if AH manages to kill K, then he won no VP yet (must kill 9 more BG to get half of the unit's VP), while the BG have good chances to either kill or catch AH, getting full VP.
2a. BG hit 3S6. AH may pass T test and hit K. AH may loose or win combat, but even if K is killed, there remain 19 angry BG with stubborn Ld9. The least likely to hurt AH, and AH may fulfil his mission.
2b. BG hit 6S4. K survives but can't lead that turn. AH may loose or win combat, but there remain 16 or more angry BG with stubborn Ld9, and then K comes back.
This course of action is likely to kill AH, and is certain to fail AH's mission, unless
- AH survives the 6S4 hits,
- and AH kills at least 3 BG,
- and BG roll 10 on Ld test (1/6 chances).
What is each players’ preference?
Hits to AH: 1a = 1b > 2b > 2a
Hits to K: 2a = 1b > 2b > 1a
From
AH's point of view:
2a > 1b > 2b > 1a
From
BG's point of view:
1a > 2b > 1b > 2a if AH has good chances to survive the hits, or
1a > 1b > 2b > 2a if AH has good chances to be killed by ASF BG before he can strike.
What options will each player choose?
1. happens only if both players want 1, and then
AH chooses 1a or 1b. He will select
1b, better for him.
2. may happen if
AH wants 2, then
BG chooses 2a or 2b.
BG will select
2b, better for him.
2. may happen if
AH wants 1 and
BG wants 2, ending necessarily in
2a. As 2a is worse for BG than the likely 1b, there is no reason for
BG to be so kind with AH and this course should never show up.
Therefore, the real choice lies with
AH, between 1b or 2b.
1b is better for him.
Therefore, the theory of games predicts that a pair of intelligent gamers will select
1b.
Translation:
If the anti-hero challenges,
Kouran should refuse! Chances are high that the anti-hero is killed, and even if he survives, chances are pretty negligible that the anti-hero wins enough and BG miss the Ld test and are caught. A very problematic situation for the anti-hero.
If the anti-hero does not challenge, then
Kouran should not make the mistake to challenge himself! Challenging or not, the antihero will try and hit Kouran, so better be able to hit him with Kouran and other BG rather than Kouran only. Even in case Kouran is killed, the BG can be confident to have won the combat.
What can the anti-hero do to increase his chances?
Higher I ASF, i.e. an
assassin. The gamble is to pass the T-test or waste your costly anti-hero. Note that the
assassin is likely to be killed, providing 141 VP while Kouran’s death did not give up a single VP yet.
An
ethereal anti-hero can be hit and even killed by Kouran. He may fluff his T-test. He will be
struck in melee inside outnumbering banner holding BG. Who would risk that?
A
PoK anti-hero on Manticore or any equivalent will face 4 mundane ASF BG. Only if he gets a banner like the SoS will him win combat, but BG remain stubborn Ld9 and are likely to stay long, when the banner has less uses. That is a highly risky
tar pit for a very expensive hero.
A
troop of knights will have to survive the many ASF hits, including Kouran’s, before getting any chance to try and kill Kouran, for which all surviving knights will have to direct their attacks on him, resulting in a very
likely loss. The whole unit is at risk, while BG gave no VP.
Finally, a
large troop of armoured cavalry with mighty hero inside will have a chance to get rid of Kouran's BG.
This is when you have to analyse: What are Kouran's chances against the unit's champ?
- If Kouran's sole hope lies in his armour, refuse challenge and hide Kouran in the rear. You risk only to fail a L9 test (1/6) while you bring a unit to rescue your tar pit.
- If Kouran's 3S6 ASF have some reasonable chances, then you may accept the challenge, but certainly never provoke the challenge yourself.
As a conclusion
I don’t see any reasonable way to kill Kouran in melee.
The opponent has little hope less he commited his main unit, for a far but certain result and a much more likely glue on the tar pit.
The opponent better try with
Hochland, cannonball, template breath or spell equivalent. Chances are low but still higher, risks are nil.
This is when BG needs some screen and dispel scroll.